Time Mac Interfered
by Raawr.x
Summary: Mac's interfering little sister Ashleigh is back in this sequel to Mac's Little Interference, but this time it's Mac's turn to interfere in his sisters life. Will he get a chance? Not if Stella has anything say about it. Please R&R. Flack/OC SMacked DL
1. Chapter 1

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A/N: Hey ya'll this is Raawr.x and Mac's interfering little sister Ashleigh is back in this sequel to my earlier story Mac's Little Interference. Hope you enjoy!! :-D

Ashleigh sunk back into a pouncing crouch as her brother circled around her.  
"Ash were did you learn fight? The Discovery Channel?" Mac teased  
"Shut it!" Ashleigh snarled.  
She crouched further back like an animal ready to spring as Mac crossed her line of sight, then she lunged forcing him to the ground. He struggled but in fear of hurting her he lost and she kept him pinned because his struggles were weak.  
"Oh, come on Mac! You couldn't hurt me! I've fought you loads of times before when we were kids! You always fought properly!" Ashleigh protested still pinning him down.  
She smiled grimly. He just looked her straight in the eyes, then shook his head.  
"Ash... No." He growled, glowering at her through narrowed eyes.  
Ashleigh sighed and stopped pinning her brother to the ground.  
"That was fun while it lasted..." Ashleigh stared through her lashes at him, then turned her back to him.  
Mac saw his chance and took it he picked her up.  
"Mac!" She shrieked "Put me the hell down!"  
She started laughing, they were both laughing. Mac fell to the floor taking Ashleigh with him both of them were convulsing with laughter.

Stella and Flack looked at each other as they assessed the siblings. They smiled, since Ashleigh had come to live in New York seeing Mac with a smile on his face or laughing was a normal sight. Flack cleared his throat. Mac and Ashleigh stopped laughing and stared at Stella and Flack. Ashleigh snickered as confusion clouded Flack's eyes. She stood up, walked over to him and grinned widely at him.  
"What's all the laughing about this time?" Stella asked  
"Ash fights like something you'd expect to see on The Discovery Channel" Mac smirked at the look of pure evil that crossed Ashleigh's features when he answered Stella.  
"That is pure evil showing through there" Flack commented as he studied his girlfriend's expression.  
The look currently occupying her face melted and was replaced by her trademark lopsided grin that sometimes, although it was very rare, Mac shared. Danny popped his head around the doors.  
"Have you managed to collect the siblings yet?" He asked  
"Just about. Go on ahead Danno," Flack told him  
"Yeah _Danno_" Ashleigh snickered.  
Since coming to New York she had quickly adopted her boyfriend's and her brother's nick names for their friends and co-workers.  
"Danny go. We'll meet you there" Stella ordered  
"OK" Danny mock saluted Stella as he left.  
Ashleigh giggled. "You have everything under control don't you Stella?"  
"Yep!" Stella linked arms with Ashleigh "Let's get to Sullivan's!"  
Flack and Mac looked at each other and rolled their eyes as they followed the women.

"I wonder who's gonna be the next married couple after Danny and Lindsay then..." Hawkes earned a stare from everyone sat around the table. "What? I'm just saying..."  
"Not gonna be us anytime soon." Stella grinned at Mac who shook his head in agreement with her statement.  
All attention turned to Flack and Ashleigh who hadn't been listening and therefore hadn't said anything. Ashleigh stood up and walked towards the ladies toilets.  
"When are you going to ask her?" Mac asked Flack once Ashleigh was out of earshot.  
The table fell silent and all of them were staring at Flack and Mac.  
"Y-you're gonna ask her to marry you?" Lindsay almost choked on her drink.  
Flack shrugged.  
"I love her, she loves me."  
Ashleigh's cell phone clattered to the ground.  
"How much did you hear?" Flack asked  
"E-enough..."

Ashleigh sat back in her seat, just blinking and barely breathing, staring at the floor. When she looked back up everyone was staring expectantly at her, she crossed her arms over her knee's and slumped forward still looking at everyone.  
"Well?" Flack asked  
"I'm not answering until you ask me." Ashleigh shot him her lopsided grin.  
Flack sighed and glared mockingly at her then whined. Everyone else exchanged looks of amusement.  
"Ashleigh Taylor will you marry me?"  
Flack smiled stiffly, Ashleigh knew then this wasn't how he'd planned to ask her.  
"Yes, yes yes yes yes!" Ashleigh smiled and threw her arms around him. "Nothing went to you plan did it?" She whispered to him.  
"Nu-uh" He whispered back as he kissed her head.

- - - - Next Day - - - -

"We. Are going. Shopping. Tomorrow." Stella announced while she and Ashleigh were getting coffee in the break room.  
"OK!" Ashleigh grinned widely. "Will you be my maid of honour?"  
Stella was dumb struck. Ashleigh looked around worriedly.  
"Stell Belle? Are you OK? Stella?"  
"What?" Stella asked shaking her head.  
"Will you be my maid of honour?" Ashleigh repeated almost laughing  
"Yes, Ash you know I will!"  
Stella hugged Ashleigh tight while they were both grinning.  
"Come on you're coming with me to help ask the others if they'll be brides-maids" Ashleigh pulled Stella out of the break room.  
When they ran past Mac's office Ashleigh paused.  
"One sec I wanna ask my brother something." Ashleigh walked into Mac's office grinning sheepishly "Heeeeyy Mackie..."  
"What's up Ash?" Mac asked her looking up from his computer.  
"Mac look I really do _not_want dad ruining the wedding I just want him to be sat down at all times and shut up, so I was wondering would you... Uh.... Would you give me away? Mackie please?" Ashleigh connected her eyes with Mac's.  
"Yeah Ash if that's what you want I will. I promise" Mac walked over to Ashleigh and hugged her tight.  
"Thaaaaank you!!" Ashleigh grinned brightly "I have some thing's to do"  
"Bye Ash"  
"Bye!" Ashleigh stepped out of Mac's office and rejoined Stella. "I just asked him to give me away." She answered Stella's question before it was out of her mouth.  
"OK... Are you even inviting your parents?" Stella asked looking concerned as they started walking down the corridor.  
"Yes. They're getting invited but I want my father to just sit down and shut up." Ashleigh sighed and looked at the floor "If he doesn't sit and shut it he's going to ruin what should be the best day of my entire life."  
"After the way you reacted to them when we were in Chicago I can guess what he will say and what he will do" Stella remembered the scene Mac and Ashleigh's parents had made out of Mac being in the hospital and Ashleigh saying that he probably wouldn't want to see them.  
"Yeah" Ashleigh sighed then smiled "Come on we've got people to talk to!"

Flack had never been good at asking people things but this he had to do. Originally he was going to ask Mac, until Ashleigh told him her plans to ask Mac to give her away. So he'd decided to ask Danny instead.  
"Hey Danno."  
"Hey my almost married friend." Danny teased looking up.  
"Knock it off, or I'll ask Hawkes instead"  
"OK, ok I'm shutting up ask what you wanna ask!" Danny chuckled  
"Will you be my best man?"  
Danny fell backwards off of his chair and gasped. "Um... Yeah OK I will"  
"Thanks Danno. You're a good friend."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**A/N: Well what do you all think? I need some idea's for Ash's wedding dress and the brides-maids dresses. I already know I want traditional white for Ash's dress but I have no idea what I want it to look like and I have absolutely no idea what-so-ever for the brides-maid dresses so can you help me? Please review. Raawr.x**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long my computer crashed and I lost the whole chapter so I had to try and re-write it && This is a little bit out of character for some people....  
- - - - - -**

Ashleigh sighed. Stella's version of a good time shopping was a far cry from her idea of fun. She wanted to tease her brother and be with Flack, not shopping with her brother's girlfriend for wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses for something that didn't even have a set date.  
"Stella. Look this isn't my kind of thing..."  
"Ashleigh honey seriously you have to be prepared for this sort of thing." Stella told her.  
Ashleigh was on the verge of stamping her foot and screaming 'I wanna go home!' but unfortunately she knew that wouldn't work. She had given Stella a new nickname Stubborn Ass Stella, but Stella didn't know that yet.  
"Stubborn Ass Stella?" Stella asked Ashleigh.  
Ashleigh looked down at the diary she had been writing in and noticed she had scribbled Stubborn Ass Stella over the page in her diary in her somewhat messy spidery scrawl.  
"Sorry Stelle Belle. I just get stressed and write..."  
"It's ok Ash. Oooo!! Look at that shop!" Stella joked laughing  
"OK Stell you're too hyper! We're going to work!" Ashleigh laughed dragging Stella out of the shopping centre.  
"Work?" Stella Whimpered "No!"  
"Do you want to see Mac or not?"  
"I see more of him than you do..." Stella grinned devilishly.  
"I shouldn't be having this conversation with my brother's girlfriend Stell"  
"Personally I don't care!" Stella told Ashleigh, acting over-dramatic.  
"Come on!" Ashleigh giggled.

When they finally got to the Avalanche they were both a little too busy to notice Flack and Mac hiding in the back seats. Ashleigh climbed in the driver side and Stella in the passenger side. While the women were putting their seatbelts on the men suddenly popped their heads around so they could be seen. Stella screamed and flung her hand out which caught Mac in the middle of the chest. Ashleigh simply squealed and smacked Flack on the head.  
"Ouch!" Mac and Flack Shouted  
Stella and Ashleigh shared a look and burst out laughing.  
"What're you two idiots doing here?"  
"Us two idiots are here to tell you that dad isn't coming" Mac told Ashleigh who smiled when he said this.  
Flack and Stella shared a look.  
"Look I didn't say this before because I couldn't bring myself to but isn't your dad- -"  
"Rob is our step-dad" Ashleigh answered Stella before she could finish.  
"He was good to our mom you know... Not to judge her because she had us two but he wasn't so good to us." Mac shrugged "Our mom loved him and you could see that he loved her, the only problem was me and Ash"  
"He doesn't like us and we don't like him!" Ashleigh grinned  
"And that's something to be proud of?" Stella asked looking confused  
"Yes that's something to be completely proud of" Mac told her  
Ashleigh's grin spread wider.  
"I'm glad he isn't coming. I don't want him there." Ashleigh huffed  
"You can be very nice when you want to be can't you Ash?" Mac asked  
"Yeah... Now put your seat belts on or you'll fly through the back window" Ashleigh ordered, her foot hovering over the gas pedal.  
The men obediently sat back and put their seat belts on. Ashleigh stepped on the gas pedal and practically flew out of the parking lot.

Flack and Mac were used to Ashleigh's driving but Stella wasn't.  
"Whoa! You drive like a maniac!"  
Stella was gripping her seat. Mac and Flack were laughing quietly in the backseats.

Flack had given Ashleigh her engagement ring last night it was a radiant cut diamond on a gold band. It caught the light perfectly and a whole rainbow of colours reflected onto the roof of the car.  
"Did you two find anything in your shopping trip?" Mac asked  
"No, we only found out just how stubborn we both can be." Stella told him as Ashleigh concentrated on the road.  
"I still don't see why the two of you had to go shopping because the wedding doesn't even have a set date." Flack mumbled  
"I was forcibly dragged out of the door and practically bound and gagged to have to come here today because I don't see the point either" Ashleigh told him.  
"You two just _have_ to set a date today..." Stella told them.  
Ashleigh glanced at Flack in the rear-view mirror. He'd done exactly what she would've if she hadn't been driving, he'd frozen.  
"Stella they have time. They don't have to set a date right now." Mac reminded her, while taking in the expressions on Flack and Ashleigh's faces.

When they got back to the lab the two couples separated off. Flack and Ashleigh went straight to the break room to join Danny, Lindsay and Hawkes whereas Stella and Mac went to Mac's office

- - - Break room - - -

"Did you enjoy your shopping trip with Stella, Ash?" Lindsay asked  
Ashleigh shook her head vigorously as she pulled two coffee cups out of the cupboard and set them down on the worktop.  
"How'd she react to the news you and Mac had to give her?" Hawkes asked  
"Surprisingly well." Flack told him.  
In return Hawkes looked confused.  
"She doesn't care, Rob is their step-dad" Flack shrugged.  
"Stop speaking about me like I'm not here Donnie; believe me I _will_ pour this cup of coffee over your head." Ashleigh threatened handing him the coffee cup.  
"What coffee? I have it now." Flack told her matter-of-factly.  
"Mine." She replied sternly her coffee cup hovering over his head.  
"Then you won't have any coffee"  
"There's plenty more." Ashleigh assured him.

Lindsay noticed the look on Mac's face from his office which was directly across the corridor from the break-room.  
"I think Stella's just dropped a bomb on your brother Ash"  
Ashleigh looked across.  
"This cannot be good."

- - - Stella & Mac - - - ^ While all of this is happening

"Enjoy your morning off Stell?" Mac asked as he sat behind his desk  
"Just about, I wish Ash hadn't've dragged me out of there so early" Stella frowned.  
"OK Stell I'll bite, what's bothering you."  
Mac leant forward on his desk as Stella sat in one of the black leather chairs that occupied the other side of his desk. Stella mirrored his actions and shook her head.  
"Nothing's bothering me, why would it be?"  
"Stella..." Mac grumbled in a warning tone.  
"OK, ok..." sighed Stella "Look Mac..." She trailed off.  
"Stella! God damn tell me already! I'm dying over here" Mac slammed his right hand on his desk and stood up.  
"Never mind 'You're dying over there' you'll die when I tell you..." Stella mumbled.  
"Stella honey, please tell me what's wrong." Mac's face softened  
"OK..." Stella drew in a slow breath "When we were in Chicago did we use a condom?"

**- - - - - - -  
A/N: . . . Well? . . . OK I guess I probably don't have anything to say besides Review please**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: On with the story . . .  
**_  
Re-cap  
"When we were in Chicago did we use a condom?"_

Mac's face became white.  
"I- I- - I don't remember." He lied.  
"We didn't." Stella told him  
Mac froze. Is she, no she can't be, no.  
"Mac, I'm pregnant." Stella sighed scared of how he was going to re-act.  
"Stell it's been two months almost three. You're telling me you've only just noticed?"  
"No, I've only just worked up the courage to tell you." Stella sighed looking unhappy and forlorn.  
"It's OK Stell we'll get through it. I love you." Mac hugged her.  
"I love you too." Stella hugged him back

- - - -

Ashleigh squinted. She could just about tell what they were saying but only Mac because Stella had her back turned toward Ashleigh.  
"Something's wrong. I- - I just don't quite know what."  
Ashleigh exited the break room and made a beeline for her brother's office.  
"What's going on?!" she demanded jokingly as she burst through the door. "Answer me"  
Stella smiled and was happy to comply with Ashleigh's request.  
"I'm pregnant." Stella said happily, she felt a lot more comfortable telling Ashleigh this than she had telling or even thinking of telling Mac.  
"That's great!" Ashleigh grinned then hugged Stella.  
Stella smiled and hugged Ashleigh back.  
"You tell no one. Not even Don. You gotta promise me Ash." Stella told her.  
"I won't. I won't! I promise!" Ashleigh released Stella, still grinning.  
Ashleigh pounced on Mac hugging him tight.  
"Mac's gonna be a daddy!" She trilled happily.  
Mac hugged his sister back, and smacked her in the head lightly.  
"Shut up." He told her sternly.  
"You are gonna be the strict parent!" Ashleigh told him digging him in the ribs.  
"Ahh... Ow... Ash that hurt."  
"Good!" She stamped her stiletto boot covered foot  
"Right that's it! Stell please can you move honey?" Mac asked while picking Ashleigh up.  
"OK" Stella answered sharply knowing the history of the siblings.  
"Mac..." Ashleigh growled in a warning tone "Put me down Mister!"  
"Not a chance Ash!" He said carrying her out of the room.

Ashleigh screaming was what drew everyone's attention to her and Mac as he carried her out of his office. The group crowded in the break room exchanged looks as they surveyed typical brother sister behaviour. Danny's grin widened in amusement. Flack and Stella exchanged looks from across the corridor.  
He headed out of the break room and she walked out of Mac's office.  
"What has she done this time?"  
"I don't know."  
Flack looked at how Stella's hand fell casually over her stomach.  
"You're pregnant aren't you?" He asked  
"How could you tell?" She asked, confusion clouding her strong Grecian features.  
"I have a little sister Stella. You're acting the way my mom did when she was pregnant with Sam and she was trying to hide it from me and my brother. Protective." He answered her, chuckling quietly as Stella evil eyed him  
"You can't tell anyone." She warned him as she smacked his arm.  
"I won't, 'n I'm guessing that Ash teased Mac about it, that's why he's going to end up killing her isn't it?" He asked his dark brows raising over his bright blue eyes.  
"Yes." Stella giggled "Come on we'd better go and stop him before he goes too far"  
As if on cue Ashleigh screamed from somewhere in the lab. Stella and Flack exchanged looks just before they headed down the corridor.

"Ah! Mac put me the hell down! Now!" Ashleigh squealed  
"You know you shouldn't tease me Ash." He told her, half joking half serious  
"Yes, yes big brother I know but you're just so easy to wind up." Ashleigh told him in a babyish voice  
"I know. You remind me that every time you manage to wind me up." Mac smiled grimly "Now what should I do?"  
"Not hurt me?" Ashleigh suggested sheepishly  
"Oh yeah Ash, like that'll work"  
"It might've done"  
"No." Mac smiled grimly.  
"HELP!" Ashleigh screamed  
"OK you two stop it." Stella said as she and Flack rounded the door.  
Mac and Ashleigh both fell silent. After noting the almost mom like authority in Stella's voice Mac dropped Ashleigh onto the floor.  
"OUCH!" Ashleigh screamed and slammed a fist into her brother's foot.  
"Please guys act your age not your shoe size." Stella sighed.  
Ashleigh looked up to see the tired expression that cut across Stella's face.  
"You may be only young once, but you can be immature forever!" Ashleigh giggled as Flack helped her up from the floor.  
"I thought you were crazy... Now I see you're nuts" Flack told Ashleigh as he kissed her cheek.  
"She's always been nuts." Mac said dusting himself off then turning to hug Stella.  
"I already knew this." Stella replied while resting her head on his shoulder.  
"Yeah but I don't think _they_ knew a sibling of you could be this much trouble." Ashleigh told Mac as she continued giggling.

When the four of them re-entered Mac's office, Mac sat down in his chair.  
"This is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever sat on." He complained  
"No, the most uncomfortable thing you've ever sat on it the metal trash can when the lid was on and the edges of the handle had been sharpened." Ashleigh reminded him as she watched Stella and Flack's faces become concerned  
"You remember that?!" Mac asked in disbelief  
"I bloody should, I sharpened the handle!" Ashleigh told him proudly.  
Mac laughed. Stella and Flack shared a worried look.  
"I hope, I really really hope you do _not_ teach this child any of the stuff you did to people Ash most of its just plane cruel" Stella told Ashleigh who was smirking all the time.  
"I won't Stella. I promise, but can I teach it one thing?" Ashleigh promised smiling  
"Depends."  
"That auntie Ash is a complete and utter goof ball?" Mac supplied as an answer  
"No! Big brother shut up!" Ashleigh complained "Can I tell it some of the stories?"  
"I supposed that couldn't hurt" Stella grinned as she ran a hand over her belly.

**A/N: And viola! I have finally finished chapter 3. Review people please : ¬ )**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I'm trying to keep up with another story.**"Oh my god! Ashleigh you look beautiful." Stella grinned  
Ashleigh's eyes were glittering as she studied herself in the ceiling to floor mirror across from her. The gems on the dress shimmered as she moved.  
"I love it." Ashleigh's smile grew wider  
"It looks amazing on you." Lindsay agreed  
Ashleigh grinned devilishly, she knew that they just wanted to get out of there.  
"We aren't leaving yet." Ashleigh told them sweetly "You two and Lucy next"  
Stella and Lindsay groaned, Lucy just giggled like only babies can.

Since being in New York Ashleigh had let her hair change back to its natural very dark brown which was only challenged by Mac's, her hair had also grown a little longer but only just past her shoulders. She constantly refused to straighten it and only when Stella and Lindsay had gotten their hands on her had she let anyone touch it with straighteners they had come to the conclusion it did NOT suit her straight.  
"Stella! I do not suit straight hair!" Ashleigh whined "We established this last time you two tried to straighten my hair!"  
"We didn't _try_ to straighten your hair." Lindsay reminded her  
"We _did_ straighten your hair" Stella grinned  
Ashleigh reached for and grabbed her gun and trained it on Stella jokingly. Stella put the straighteners down, walked away and threw her hands up in defeat.  
"OK, ok no straighteners" Lindsay said staring wide eyed

Stella jumped in surprise.  
"Oh," Stella smiled  
Ashleigh and Lindsay smiled at each other, Stella had the maternal gleam in her eyes.

When Mac and Stella had decided to tell the team about Stella being pregnant they were all a little shocked but they were happy for the couple. Lindsay dumped Lucy on Danny and leapt up to give them each a hug. Danny and Hawkes shared a look that roughly translated as 'More kids?' but it was obvious that they were happy for them because they were smiling. Flack and Ashleigh had looked at each other knowingly.

"Chicago!" Ashleigh giggled  
"Shut up!" Stella grumbled and slapped her on the head jokingly  
"Ow!" Ashleigh complained  
"Oh guys grow up!" Lindsay joked.  
Lucy laughed a sound that sounded immediately happy. Ashleigh stood up from the chair in front of the mirror and looked at the pretty baby girl who stared back at her.  
"I think Lucy likes it when we aren't acting like grownups"  
Stella looked between Lucy and Lindsay, the eyes.  
"Those eyes are staying blue Linds"  
"I know" Lindsay smiled "I'm glad"  
"Danny blue eyes"

When she heard here phone ring Ashleigh dived for it, hoping it would be her brother or her fiancé. She checked her caller ID, her face fell. She faltered deciding whether to answer or reject the call. Tossing the phone on the bed she let it ring.  
"My mother," Ashleigh sighed  
"Why didn't you answer it Ash?" Stella asked  
"Because I know what she's going to say, she's going to tell me she can't make it to NY to come to the wedding." Ashleigh looked as though she was going to cry "If I answer it she has the opportunity to tell me that she can't come if I don't answer she can't tell me."  
"Ah, poor baby..." Stella hugged Ashleigh.  
Lucy made a grabbing motion at Ashleigh.  
"Ah ug!" Lucy commanded loudly.  
Lindsay looked startled that her little girl had such a loud voice, when she wanted, and handed Lucy to Ashleigh. Lucy immediately put her arms around Ashleigh's neck.  
"Lucy, tell Auntie Stella and auntie Ash what uncle Adam is." Lindsey grinned  
"Pay in bum!" Lucy announced proudly.  
Stella and Ashleigh looked at each other then at Lucy and burst out laughing.  
"Who told you that little girl?" Ashleigh giggled  
"Dada!" Lucy smiled  
"Lindsey I think you need to talk to your husband about complaining to Lucy about people especially since she can repeat what he's saying now."  
"Nah, I think it's funny because she always repeats everything to me so I know what he's been telling her."  
Ashleigh handed Lucy back to Lindsey.  
"OK little girl, what has your daddy told you about uncle Mac?"  
Stella and Lindsey knew where Ashleigh was going with this.  
"Gwumpy."  
Ashleigh's eyes widened.  
"Gold, pure gold kid," Stella laughed "How about Uncle Flack?"  
"Lucky..."  
Ashleigh, Stella and Lindsey started snickering.  
"Tell them what daddy has said about Auntie Stella." Lindsey smiled.  
Lucy leant out of Lindsey's arms and touched Stella's stomach with the palm of her little hand.  
"Baby,"

**A/N: I'm really sorry this took so long, I got stuck lol Review please 'cause I need Idea's for bridesmaids dresses **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Complete follow on**

Stella stared at Lucy in disbelief; her shocked expression was matched by Ashleigh when her brain registered what Lucy had said. Stella took Lucy from Lindsey.  
"I am sorry honey-bun but I have to correct you, bab_ies_"  
"More than one! Are you serious Stell?" Ashleigh grinned  
"Deathly serious, twins."  
"Oh, Mac's gonna love that"  
"Never mind him, I bet you'll love it won't you Stell?"  
"Oh, yeah two babies, joy! Our apartment isn't big enough as is..."  
"Twins!" Ashleigh laughed

Mac froze in the doorway. Twin, that word meant double. Double the amount of space, double the amount of stress, double the amount of money and double the amount of kids.  
"Twins?" Mac asked, still rooted to his place in the doorway.  
Stella handed Lucy back to Lindsey and nodded.  
"Twins." She smiled weakly unsure how he was going to react. "Are you ok?"  
Mac took a deep breath, "I'm fine it's just a shock,"  
"You're not are you?"  
_Bingo!_ "No really Stell I'm fine, it's just a bit of a shock."  
"I'm glad that you're ok" She smiled "Most men would run a mile if they found out that what they thought was one baby was actually two."  
_That's me!_ "No, you know I wouldn't Stella. I love you, the three of you" Mac hugged her.

Ashleigh gave her brother and incredulous look. Liar, she thought.

When they were all at the lab the next day she managed to catch her brother alone so that she could talk to him for a few minutes.  
"Liar!" She accused  
"Ash what the hell are you on about?" Mac looked up from his computer screen  
"Yesterday it was not just a little shock. All of what Stella was saying yesterday about men who would run a mile and all that crap as far as you're concerned at the moment applies to you!"  
"Ashleigh. The concept of becoming a parent to just one child is just about as terrifying as anything possibly could ever be, but when you factor in that you won't just be a parent to one but you'll be a parent to two children at the same time it is absolutely petrifying."  
Ashleigh sighed and sat in the chair across from her brother.  
"Mackie what are we going to do with you? At the moment it seems everything is starting to get to you and its all piling on at once."  
"I know I'm extremely stressed at the moment. I mean there's your wedding, and then there's Stella and the recently announced bab_ies,_ I mean mom she doesn't know there's going to be one grandchild let alone two. I swear if one more thing comes up I am going to explode."  
"OK then I am not going to tell you..."  
"Not going to tell me what?"  
Ashleigh stood up looking incredibly guilty.  
"Ash, what is it?" Mac rose from his chair looking as serious as ever  
"Nothing, I told you it's _nothing_" She insisted  
"Ash..." Mac growled as he rounded his desk with the intention of stepping in his sister's path.  
"Step-dad's coming." She told him bluntly  
"I thought you hadn't invited him, only mom?"  
"Yeah that's true but she rang me and said that if he wasn't, coming neither was she." Ashleigh sighed "It's not fair! I don't want him here!"  
Mac hugged his sister; he looked into Stella's office across the hall and had an idea.  
"Ash why don't you ask mom to come here a little earlier just for a visit so she can meet Don," Mac looked across the hall at Stella "And Stell?"  
"Yeah... I think I will" Ashleigh grinned slyly knowing exactly what her brother meant. "I think I'll do it now."  
Ashleigh pulled her phone from her pocket and flipped it into her hand, dialling her mom's number.  
_  
"Hello?"  
_"Hey Rob, its Ashleigh. Is my mom there?"  
There was mumbling from the other end of the line, then she heard it.  
_"Vera! It's your daughter" _He said the word daughter like it was the worst word in the whole world.  
_"Ashleigh, honey how are you?"  
_"I'm great mom, what about you?"  
_"Ah, well you know my knee's been giving me trouble but other than that I'm fine."  
_"Look mom I was wondering why don't you come to New York for a visit? So you can meet Don and Stella. You could stay in a nice hotel and see the city."  
_"Oh, Ashleigh I would love to"  
_Ashleigh could imagine their mother grinning down the phone.  
_"But I have a question. Does this invite apply to Rob as well or will I have to tell you no honey?"  
_"Yes it applies to him as well seeing as you go nowhere without him."  
_"I'm sorry Ashleigh but as much as he isn't your father he is still my husband."  
_"It's alright mom, I understand. Look I'm working now so I've gotta go. Bye mom, I love you  
_"OK honey, I love you too"  
_  
Ashleigh ended the call and threw her blackberry at the couch that was backed against the lab facing wall in her brothers office.  
"She won't go anywhere without him!" She complained.  
Stella poked her head through the door.  
"Are you guys OK?" She asked "I mean I saw Ash throw a hissy fit using the blackberry as a weapon" Stella chuckled  
"I did NOT throw a hissy fit!" Ashleigh whined  
"Ash, honey face it. You threw a hissy fit" Stella told her while walking over to Mac  
Mac hugged Stella and put his hands tenderly on her stomach.  
"I love you," He told her "And you too kidda's"  
Ashleigh giggled.  
"Cute, as ever."

**A/N: please review if you read this because I want you all to pick either R or B in your reviews, so please R&R. Thank you ^_^ **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Good morning / afternoon / evening**

Vera stood next to her husband, looking for either her daughter or her son. So far she had seen neither of them and she had already been waiting 1 hour.  
"Where are they?" She asked  
"They've probably forgotten." He told her with a dark look clouding his face "You know what they're like. Always forgetting everything."  
"No, they wouldn't forget I called Ashleigh when we got our luggage. She told me they'd be here as soon as possible."

"Mom!"  
The next thing Vera knew she was being hugged tightly.  
"Well hello Ashleigh."  
Vera smiled as she hugged her daughter back. Taking note of the shoes Ashleigh was wearing she was surprised that the young woman had been able to run in them.

Mac, Stella and Flack just stood watching Ashleigh. Flack swallowed thickly, meeting the soon to be in-laws.  
"Come on." Stella urged  
"Yeah Don believe me it's better to get it over with now, rather than at or after the wedding"  
Flack sighed.  
"OK then let's go"  
Stella and Flack let Mac walk ahead while they hung back nervously.

"If anyone has the right to feel nervous Flack it's me, she knows you're marrying Ash she doesn't know I'm pregnant." Stella told him  
"You know Stell you're starting to sound more and more like a momma every day" Flack teased her  
"Good. Maybe I'll get taken more seriously."  
Stella gave him a hard but good natured punch in the arm, which immediately started to bruise.  
"Ouch! Do you have fists of iron or somethin' Stell? That hurt!"  
"You'll never know." Stella joked  
Stella and Flack started walking.  
"Hey Mac! Your girlfriend here have fists of iron?" Flack asked  
Stella looked immediately offended.  
"Ash can I hit him?!"  
Ashleigh turned around and looked at Stella and Flack.  
"Yes, Stell you can."  
"OW!"  
"Ah ah. You can't punch me back Flack."  
"Mac?!"  
Mac gave him the look that immediately translated as 'Not a hope in hell' Ashleigh shook her head and flitted to her fiancé's side. She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where her mother stood.  
_Begin the awkward introduction.  
_" Mom, this is Don, Don this is my mother"  
"Hi Don, it's nice to put a face to a name, also call me Vera no formalities please"  
"Hi Vera it's nice to meet you too"

Stella and Mac just hung back and watched the awkwardness fade away, and Rob just standing there looking, looking at Stella.  
"And who's this lovely lady?" Rob inquired; wanting to stir up trouble  
"This is Stella Bonasera my girlfriend" Mac smiled "Also as you can see she's pregnant, so mom there's going to be grandchildren in a few months"  
"Wait grandchild_ren_?"  
"Yeah mom, twins!"  
Ashleigh was grinning from ear to ear, she was happy. Vera was just standing, looking shocked.  
"Mom? Are you ok?" Mac asked  
"Yes Mac I'm fine, it's just grandchildren" Vera smiled happily  
Rob looked disgusted.  
"You two aren't even married." Rob said  
Mac and Stella looked at each other as they knew what was going to come out of the others mouth.  
"So?" They both said at the same time.  
Mac hugged Stella and kissed her head.  
"I love her."  
"I love him"  
"So who cares if they're married or not? They don't care, I don't, the twins probably won't" Ashleigh stood up for Stella and Mac  
"I don't care," Vera told them.

Ashleigh and Mac were shocked. Since Vera had married Rob she had never taken side against him and with them but now she was because Ashleigh and Mac knew that the only thing she cared about concerning marriage or the lack of it and babies was that the couple knew what they were letting themselves in for and were happy. If either Stella or Mac wasn't happy about it she would've said something to the other and made the two of them talk it over. The grin that was plastered there never left Ashleigh's face.

"What?"  
"Oh Robert grow up, nothing's like it was when we were younger. No one's going to force them to get married if they don't want. It's a different time now"  
Vera shook her head and sighed.  
"You want your grandchildren to grow up with unmarried parents?"  
"I don't care," She gestured to Stella and Mac "So long as the two of them are happy I don't care. It's their choice. "So, Stella what do your parents think about this?"  
"Oh, uh god um..." Stella ran a hand through her hair "I don't know who my parents are, technically I'm an orphan" Stella shrugged nonchalantly.

**A/N: Well...? R&R please Raawr.x**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: OK here ya' are...**

Stella looked at Vera's smiling face and knew immediately that they were going to get along just fine, but Rob was another story. The moody look was constantly covering his features; she could see clearly why Ashleigh and Mac didn't get along with him.

Flack felt a little intimidated by Rob because he never looked happy. He always looked angry or annoyed never happy. Vera was very nice and Flack could see he would get along with her, she always had a happy aspect to her face she was never fully negative.

Ashleigh and Mac were smirking; Rob was not going to win this argument at all. Vera had always been good at winning arguments even with the two of them when they were kids and with their father when he was still in the marines and strict as ever.

When the four of them had got back to the lab they headed straight to the break room.  
Stella placed her hands on her stomach and squeezed her eyes tightly for a couple of seconds.  
"Ow..."  
Mac rushed over to her side immediately and put his arms around her.  
"Are you okay Stell?" Mac asked fear clouding his eyes  
"I'm fine, just ow." Stella chuckled weakly  
Ashleigh giggled. "Well there is two, twice the pain."  
"Twice the space," Stella added  
"Twice the stress" Flack laughed  
"Twice everything," Mac whispered as he kissed Stella's cheek  
"Ow, hurts....." Stella hissed dangerously  
"You know Stella if it's hurting, you should really go to the doctors," Lindsay suggested picking up two cups of coffee  
"Take advice from Baby Mamma Stell, she knows what she's talking about." Ashleigh looked at Stella with concern.

Since Ashleigh had met Lucy she called Danny Baby Papa and Lindsay Baby Mamma.

"You're both right, I should." Stella sighed and stood up,  
"Stella I'll go with you," Mac told her also standing  
"No, Mac. You need to stay here, run the lab." Stella insisted pushing him down by the chest  
"Mac I'll go with her," Ashleigh said "I've got nothing to do anyway."  
Stella exhaled sharply. "Fine, you can come."  
"Good."  
Ashleigh stood up, Stella walked out of the break room, Ashleigh kissed Flack on the cheek then turned to her brother.  
"I'll take care of her and if it's anything serious I'll call you, ok?"  
"OK" Mac told her

Ashleigh ran out of the break room after Stella.  
"Stella!" She shouted, skidding to a halt in front of Stella  
"Yes?" Stella smiled  
"What's wrong? You're in a bad mood."  
"I don't need babysitting Ash,"  
"No but if it really hurts that much I'm not going to let you go anywhere on your own." Ashleigh told her sternly.  
"Fine," Stella sighed angrily  
"Look we're all concerned about you, if it's really hurting that much you need to sort it out. I hate to say it but it could be something really bad..."  
Ashleigh hugged Stella.  
Stella smiled "I hope it isn't anything serious"  
"Stella you're 7 and a half months pregnant it could just be the extra weight causing the pain."  
"Ugh... I hope so,"

"Mac there won't be anything seriously wrong with her." Lindsay reassured him  
"Yeah Mac, if there was she'd've been in a lot more pain than what she is in."  
"I know I'm just concerned. I hope she's okay" Mac leant forward and buried his head in his hands.  
"Ash said she'd call you if there was anything seriously wrong," Flack told him smiling weakly  
"I know I know..."  
"So calm down Mac,"  
Lindsay moved to sit next to him, she put her arms around him and hugged him. Lindsay's phone started ringing from Adam's lab.  
"Boy that's loud"  
"Good job it is or I wouldn't know it was ringing,"  
Lindsay let go of Mac and jumped up from the couch.  
She ran into Adam's lab and skidded across the floor, grabbing her phone as she passed the table where she had put it. She looked at the caller ID. Ash.

"Hey Ash, what's up?" Lindsay asked cheerily  
_"Hey Baby mamma, look uh when you were pregnant with Lucy did you ever hear of something called preterm labour?"  
_"Yeah, I was warned about it. Why?"  
_"Big hint for you here Linds:, Stella"  
_"Oh, my, god."

**A/N: Well?? R&R please :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Total continuation...**

"Oh, my, god."  
_"Yeah I know!" Ashleigh squealed in terror "Put my brother on the phone!"  
_"Uh, oh um...."  
_"Lindsay! Now!"  
_"I'm going I'm going! I'm in a different room."  
Lindsay ran out of Adam's lab and sprinted to the break room.  
"MAC!" She shouted, covering the phone  
"What?" Mac looked up  
"Its Ash, your phones off!"  
Mac took the phone from Lindsay.  
"Ash what's going on?"  
_"Mac Taylor get your but down here now!" Stella shouted down the phone  
_"OK, ok..."  
Mac ended the phone call, handed Lindsay back her phone, grabbed his jacket and ran out of the break room.  
"What's going on?" Danny asked  
"Stella, preterm..." Lindsay told him  
"Shit!" Flack, Danny and Hawkes shouted together  
"How do you all know what that means?" Lindsay asked  
"Sisters" Flack said  
"Nephews and nieces" Hawkes told her  
"Lucy," Danny grinned  
Lindsay laughed.

Mac ran down corridors and hallways almost knocking people over. Lindsay looked around for him and trying her best to follow him with Danny, Flack and Adam following her. Everything was in a rush. Then he bumped into Ashleigh, almost sent her flying completely backwards. He grabbed her arms and steadied her.  
"Where is she?" Mac asked in a strained voice,  
Ashleigh pointed to a room down the corridor and she stopped all the others, shaking her head sternly.  
"We aren't allowed in, only he is." Ashleigh told them a grave look on her face.  
Flack opened his arms and Ashleigh threw herself into them.  
"I don't understand it." Ashleigh said "Stella hasn't done anything wrong"  
"Preterm labour doesn't have to be brought on by anything" Lindsay told her "It can just happen"  
"Stella's lucky it's only one month early though, it could have been worse" Flack told them.  
They all looked at him in shock.  
"What?" He demanded  
"You sounded almost intelligent..." Ashleigh whispered  
Danny and Lindsay burst out laughing  
"He did, didn't he?" Hawkes added  
Danny and Lindsay's laughter trailed off when Flack gave them a death glare.  
"I'm glad I'm not on the receiving end of that..." Hawkes whispered to Ashleigh.  
They both had to stop themselves from joining the laughing fit after that.  
"Oh, honey we were just joking."  
Ashleigh hugged him, while she had her trade mark lopsided grin plastered on her face. Flack folded his arms across his chest and tried to ignore her. No one ignores Ashleigh Taylor. She slapped him across the face, so hard it made Danny, Lindsay and Hawkes flinch. Flack winced; he had a red hand print on his face.

Ashleigh sat on the red couch in the private family waiting room, they had all been there for over 2 hours now and were getting bored.  
"Any New York ghost stories?" Ashleigh asked  
"None that you don't already know," Flack said  
"Any Chicago ones?" Lindsay looked up from her phone  
"Hell, there's plenty." Ashleigh grinned, "Wanna hear one?"  
"Sure!" Danny shouted a little too enthusiastically  
"Um... OK..." Ashleigh had to think about which one wasn't going to scare the crap outta 'em too much. "Resurrection Mary" Ashleigh wore a sinister grin on her face

"A young girl who was killed while hitchhiking down Archer Avenue in the early 1930's. Apparently, she had spent the evening dancing with a boyfriend at the O Henry Ballroom. At some point, they got into an argument and Mary -as she has come to be called- stormed out of the place. Even though it was a cold winter's night, she thought, she would rather face a cold walk home than another minute with her boorish lover.

She left the ballroom and started walking up Archer Avenue. She had not gotten very far when she was struck and killed by a passing automobile. The driver fled the scene and Mary was left there to die.

Her grieving parents buried her in Resurrection Cemetery, wearing a white dress and her dancing shoes.

Since that time, her spirit has been seen along Archer Avenue, perhaps trying to return to her grave after one last night among the living. It was around this time that drivers along Archer Avenue started reporting strange encounters with a young woman in a white dress. She always appeared to be real, until she would inexplicably vanish. The reports of this girl began in the middle 1930's and started when motorists passing by Resurrection Cemetery began claiming that a young woman was attempting to jump onto the running boards of their automobiles.

Not long after, the woman became more mysterious, and much more alluring. The strange encounters began to move further away from the graveyard and closer to the O Henry Ballroom, which is now known as the Willowbrook. She was now reported on the nearby roadway and sometimes, inside of the ballroom itself. On many occasions, young men would meet a girl at the ballroom, dance with her and then offer her a ride home at the end of the evening. She would always accept and offer vague directions that would lead north on Archer Avenue. When the car would reach the gates of Resurrection Cemetery though, the young woman would always vanish."

When Ashleigh had finished with her story she looked at the expressions on everyone's faces. They were of complete concentration. Lindsay shivered.  
"Spooky..." She whispered  
"Good isn't it?"  
"Anymore?" Hawkes asked with a look of pure interest spreading over his face  
"Loads." Ashleigh had to stop and think again to decide on the best one

"In 1829, the area's Indian leader, Powawatomi, made a large cession of land and set aside a huge section for Robinson at Lawrence Avenue and the River Road. In addition, he was awarded a lifetime benefit of $200 per year, an amount that increased according to the Chicago Treaty to $500.

In 1830, Robinson opened a saloon in the city and five years later departed for Iowa. He lived away from Chicago for a few years and then returned with the departure of most of the regional Indian tribes. He lived in Chicago until his death in 1872, signing away huge portions of land to the arriving settlers and attempting to make the transition of Chicago from a fort to a growing city a smooth one. In the early 1900's, the remaining Robinson family continued to be a visible presence in the city. There were many stories told about the Robinson house, located in the woods off of Lawrence Avenue that told of wild living and unseemly parties. In spite of their reputation, the family continued to live in the house in the woods until 1955, when the structure burned to the ground.

A short time after the fire, another, more horrifying event took place here. In October 1955, the bodies of John and Anton Schuessler and Robert Peterson were discovered bound and naked in a ditch at the edge of the woods. The case stunned the city and would remain unsolved for almost 40 years! Not surprisingly, this event left a dark stain on the atmosphere of Robinson Woods!

Robinson Woods still remain today, just off Lawrence Avenue. If you go there and leave the street, walking a short distance, you will see a large stone that serves as a burial monument to Andrew Robinson and his family. Their bodies lie here underneath the earth.... but do they rest peacefully?

Strange events have been reported here for many years and first-hand accounts claim the sightings of apparitions that look like Native Americans, odd lights that have been spotted in the woods by passing motorists, sounds of drums beating and disembodied voices that seem to come from out of the air. People claim smell the scent of flowers in the air... even in the winter, when no plants or trees are in bloom!

A dozen paranormal experiments carried out here in 1974-1975 managed to pick up some of the strange sounds that people reported hearing on audio tape. What resulted sounded exactly like Indian tribal drums. The source for these sounds remains a mystery."

By the time Ashleigh had finished her second story an eerie silence filled the room only to be taken over by screams when the door opened. Mac stood there with a stupid smirk on his face and a look of confusion in his eyes.  
"Well!?" Ashleigh asked excitedly  
"All fine..."

**A/N: Anyone else know anymore Chicago ghost stories? I would love to read them plus I need some more 'cos I can only find a few... but in any case R&R **** P.S. I'm not updating until I Get at least 2 reviews**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: :)**

Stella smiled as she watched her son and daughter being handed around the group that was surrounding her.  
_So small_ she thought _But so god damn cute._  
"OK so what have you decided to call them?" Sid asked as he handed the baby girl to Ashleigh, who handed the baby boy back to his mother.  
Mac and Stella smiled at each other.  
"We came up with a compromise, this handsome little man is Simon," Stella started  
"And that beautiful little girl is Siri." Mac finished  
"Simon and Siri..." Ashleigh grinned "American and Greek. Just like you two."  
"Yep, yep!" Stella laughed  
Siri yawned, Ashleigh smiled at the baby girl and handed her over to Mac.  
"Look you two probably want sometime alone with the twins..." Ashleigh suggested whacking Flack in the chest.  
"Yeah. So we'll go and give you some alone time" Flack said responding to the whack he had just received.  
Everybody nodded and murmured in agreement as they left.  
"Can I have Siri please Mac?" Stella requested.  
"Sure thing" Mac smiled as he swapped Siri for Simon.  
"You are going to be a beautiful little girl Siri yes you are, I love you and I love you too Simon" Stella smiled happily "You two and your dad are the best things that ever happened to me. I mean it, the best" Stella hugged Siri to her chest and kissed the small girls head.  
The small baby girl made a happy noise and grabbed at the air for her dad. Stella laughed and handed Siri to Mac. Stella yawned obviously tired but Mac knew she was going to deny it if he said anything to her, despite that he was going to try.  
"Stell, you look shattered sleep, even Simon and Siri are tired" Mac gave Stella a warm smile  
Stella sighed which promptly turned into a yawn.  
"OK" She admitted looking defeated.

She was just about to close her eyes when Vera and Rob appeared.  
"Ashleigh just called us as she was leaving." Vera told them "Is everything OK?"  
"Yeah, everything's fine"  
Mac and Stella smiled at each other. Simon and Siri looked at each other; even though they were only a few hours old they were fully aware of each other and their surroundings. The twins looked at Rob and Vera. Siri looked straight at Vera not even attempting to look at Rob and Simon just gave Rob a quick look and then turned his full attention on Vera.  
"May I?" Vera held out her arms  
"Of course" Stella smiled  
Mac handed Simon to Vera, who smiled upon receiving her grandson.  
"Hello handsome boy," Vera cooed "What are their names?"  
"That's Simon and this is Siri" Mac told her  
Vera smiled at the little baby in her arms. Rob looked at Siri.  
"Can I?" Rob asked unsurely looking at Siri.  
Mac looked at Stella who shrugged.  
"Sure" Stella told him  
Mac reluctantly handed Siri to Rob, who smiled at Siri. Siri took one look at him and her big eyes widened, she looked scared.  
"Ah!"  
Siri squealed as her eyes started to fill with tears, she looked back at Mac and Stella and wriggled in Robs hold. Stella bit her lip trying her best not to laugh at how Rob was struggling.  
After a few more seconds of seeing Siri absolutely terrified and watching Rob struggle, Stella elbowed Mac who was having trouble not laughing at Rob.  
"Get Siri, I can't bear seeing her like that anymore... Mac!?" Stella hissed "Now!"  
"OK, ok," Mac told her "Rob, give her here..."  
Mac took Siri from Rob; she immediately stopped crying and started smiling.  
"It's okay Siri..." Mac shushed her secretly hiding a grin of full approval of how his daughter had just behaved "The nasty man won't hurt you"  
Simon stared at his grandma who was trying her best to hide an amused smile.  
"I know where I'm not wanted..." Rob grumbled and walked out of the room pulling the door shut behind him.  
"I'm sorry mom, you can't really blame a little baby," Mac apologised  
"It's OK, I don't blame her, it's not her fault. He can just be really grumpy himself." Vera smiled "I'd better go before he gets annoyed. I'll come and see you all again soon"  
Vera handed Simon to Stella.  
"Bye!" Vera called as she rounded the door  
"Bye,"  
"See ya"  
"I like your mom," Stella said with a genuine smile of affection on her face  
"Good" Mac chuckled  
"I don't like Rob"  
"Even better" Mac grinned.

After a while Stella had fallen asleep and so had the twins, Mac was on the verge of falling asleep himself when Ashleigh appeared out of nowhere standing in the door way.  
"Hey," She whispered  
"Hey... What's up?"  
"The rest of them wanna hear some more Chicago ghost stories and I don't really know anymore than Resurrection Mary and Robinson Woods!" Ashleigh complained  
"You do." Mac reminded her "You know loads"  
"Yeah but those two are the only ones I know fully..."  
"OK then..." Mac paused to think "What about Inez Clarke, Bachelors Grove, The Devil Baby of Hull House and Irish Castle?"  
"Ooo... Tell me more."  
Ashleigh sat on the floor at her brother's feet.

**A/N: Well?? R&R is it possible for 3 reviews? If not I'll wait 2 weeks then update ****Raawr.x**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Two week after the last one; Simon & Siri in the lab :-)**

Stella watched as the ever growing number of lab techs fussed around Simon and Siri. She didn't even notice Mac coming up behind her until he kissed her neck.  
"Good afternoon" Stella giggled  
"G'afternoon honey" Mac smiled  
"They're loving it"  
"Good because knowing us they are going to be coming here a lot"  
"Who said I was talking about the twins?" Stella looked at him from the corners of her eyes "The techs are loving it, they always do."  
"Yeah well they've got to be used to it by now with Lucy coming most of the time when Danny and Lindsay can't get a baby sitter"  
Mac kissed Stella's cheek, who in turn intertwined her the fingers on her right hand with his.  
"Rob's gone back to Chicago early,"  
"Why?"  
"He apparently got bored of the city and said there was nothing really to see and that New York was just made out to be fantastic when it really isn't" Mac rolled his eyes.  
"That's ridiculous!" Stella sighed "Your mom is a really lovely kind woman; I don't see why she ever fell for him. He's the total opposite of her, he's mean and he's self-centred, to be honest I just really don't like him."  
"Good job you don't. She met him a few months after my father died..."

_*Flashback*  
Vera entered the support group room, she wasn't normally this upset but she had been devastated when McKenna had died she couldn't get through it alone, so she had joined a support group for people whose friends/family had died from cancer. She sat down in an empty chair next to a handsome man with warm dark eyes, and greying blonde hair a little bit like her own only a shade or two darker. He looked up from the leaflet he was reading at her.  
"Hi." He greeted her with a soft voice  
"Hey,"  
Vera smiled sympathetically at him, she had been coming here for a few weeks and she had never seen him so whatever happened must've happened to him recently.  
"Who're you here for?" He asked her  
"My husband, he had small cell lung cancer" Vera sighed "What about you?"  
"My youngest daughter, she had leukaemia, they didn't catch it in time and when they did there weren't any matching donors she had a rare blood type." He drew in a ragged breath "She was only 16"  
"If either of my children died I would be so... Ugh! I don't even want to think about it" Vera shook her head.  
"How many children do you have?"  
"Two, a son and a daughter." Vera smiled what about you? You mentioned she was your youngest."  
"Three, another daughter who's the eldest and twin boys. Your son and daughter what are their names?"  
"Mac and Ashleigh, Mac's the eldest and Ashleigh is the youngest. Mac's been in the marines like his father and he's now head of a New York crime lab, Ashleigh's training to be a CSI at the Chicago PD"  
"My daughter Paula is a teacher, my two sons Alan and Brian Alan is a photographer and Brian is a driving instructor"  
"Wow... What about your wife?"  
"We split up a few years ago; I'm only in contact with my children." He chuckled  
*End Flashback*_

"They met at a support group?!" Stella asked shocked  
"Yep met at a support group, went out on a couple of dates, next thing I know Ashleigh is ringing me saying 'Mom's getting married!'"  
"You ever meet any of his kids?"  
"Yeah we met Alan and Brian, but Paula didn't want to know."  
"Can't blame her, I mean parents split, little sister dies and dad gets married?" Stella shuddered "Which one doesn't fit?"  
"The dad getting married"  
"Exactly, plus you don't get married after your child dies! It's awful..."

**A/N: A little insight into the past lol ;-) R&R**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: About a month after the last chapter.**

They were all at Mac and Stella's apartment, the twins were asleep and so was Lucy in her stroller covered with a 'SpongeBob Squarepants' blanket in the twins room. All of the adults were, sat in the living room drinking coffee and listening to more of the Chicago ghost stories.  
"Chicago is probably the most haunted place I've ever heard of!"  
"You wanted to hear some more ghost stories" Ashleigh reminded them  
"OK then, lets!" Hawkes suggested  
"I hate you!" Lindsay hissed at him  
"OK" Ashleigh grinned "The Devil Baby of Hull House..."

Mac started the story.  
"Hull House received its greatest notoriety when it was alleged to be the refuge of the Chicago "devil baby". This child was supposedly born to a devout Catholic woman and her atheist husband and was said to have pointed ears, horns, scale-covered skin and a tail. According to the story, the young woman had attempted to display a picture of the Virgin Mary in the house but her husband had torn it down. He stated that he would rather have the Devil himself in the house that the picture. When the woman had become pregnant, the Devil Baby had been their curse. After enduring numerous indignities because of the child, the father allegedly took it to Hull House."

Ashleigh took over.  
"After being taken in by Jane Addams, staff members of the house reportedly took the baby to be baptized. During the ceremony, the baby supposedly escaped from the priest and began dancing and laughing. Not knowing what else to do with the child, Jane kept it locked in the attic of the house, where it later died.

Rumours spread quickly about the baby and within a few weeks, hundreds of people came to the house to get a glimpse of it. How the story had gotten started, no one knew, but it spread throughout the west side neighbourhood and was reported by famous Chicago reporter Ben Hecht. He claimed that every time he tried to run down the story, he was directed to find the child at Hull House. Many people came to the door and demanded to see the child, while others quietly offered to pay an admission. They believed the wild story to be absolutely true!"

Mac finished.  
"Each day, Jane turned people away and tried to convince them that the story was fabricated. She even devoted 40 pages of her autobiography to dispelling the stories. Even though most of the poorly educated immigrants left the house still believing the tales of the Devil Baby, the stream of callers eventually died out and the story became a barely remembered side note in the history of Hull House."

By the end of the story Lindsay was staring wide eyed at the siblings, showing that she was the only person there that hated ghost stories, but then again Flack wasn't enjoying himself either.  
"Wow..." Adam whispered to break the silence  
"People actually thought that it was true?" Sid asked  
"Lots of people, even some highly respected people thought it was true."  
"Got any others?" Adam asked earning a well deserved glare from Lindsay  
"Plenty" Ashleigh grinned  
"Bachelors Grove" Mac told them.

This time Ashleigh started telling the story.  
"Located near the southwest suburb of Midlothian is the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, an island of trees and shadows nestled in the urban sprawl of the Chicago area. The rambling refuge creates an illusion that it is secluded from the crowded city that threatens its borders, and perhaps it is. On the edge of the forest is a small graveyard that many believe may be the most haunted place in the region. The name of this cemetery is Bachelor's Grove and this ramshackle burial ground may be infested with more ghosts than most can imagine. Over the years, the place has been cursed with more than 100 documented reports of paranormal phenomena, from actual apparitions to glowing balls of light.

There have been no new burials here for many years and as a place of rest for the departed, it is largely forgotten. But if you should ask any ghost hunter just where to go to find a haunting, Bachelor's Grove is usually the first place in Chicago to be mentioned!

The history of Bachelor's Grove has been somewhat shadowy over the years but most historians agree that it was started in the early part of the 1800s. Legend has it that the cemetery got its name because only men were buried here but it actually came from the name of a family who settled in the area. A nearby settlement from the 1820s consisted of mostly German immigrants from New York, Vermont and Connecticut. One family that moved into the area was called "Batchelder" and their name was given to the timberland where they settled. The settlement continued for some years as Bachelor's Grove, until 1850, when it was changed to "Bremen" by postmaster Samuel Everden in recognition of the new township name where the post office was located. In 1855, it was changed again to "Bachelder's Grove" by postmaster Robert Patrick but the post office closed down just three years later. Officially, the settlement ceased to exist and was swallowed by the forest around it."

Mac took over as Ashleigh was trying to stop herself from laughing at the worried look on Lindsay's face.  
"The cemetery itself has a much stranger history -- or at least a more mysterious one. The land was apparently first set aside to be used as a burial ground in 1844, when the first recorded burial took place here, that of Eliza (Mrs. Leonard H.) Scott. The land had been donated by the property owner, Samuel Everden, and it was named "Everden" in his honor. The last burials to take place are believed to be that of Laura M. McGhee in 1965 and Robert E. Shields, who was cremated and buried in the family plot here in 1989.

The last caretaker of the cemetery was a man named Clarence Fulton, whose family were early settlers in the township. According to Fulton, Bachelor's Grove was like a park for many years and people often came here to fish and swim in the adjacent pond. Families often visited on weekends to care for the graves of the deceased and to picnic under the trees. Things have certainly changed since then!

Problems began in and around the cemetery in the early 1960s. Even before that, the cemetery had become a popular spot along a "lover's lane" and after a nearby road was closed, it became even more isolated. Soon it began to show signs of vandalism and decay and, a short time later, were rumoured to be haunted.

The vandals first discovered Bachelor's Grove in the 1960s and, probably because of its secluded location began to wreak havoc on the place. Gravestones were knocked over and destroyed, sprayed with paint, broken apart and even stolen. Graves were opened and caskets removed. Bones were sometimes found to be strewn about the cemetery."

When Ashleigh had finally gathered herself together she took over telling the story.  
"There is no question that vandals have not been kind to Bachelor's Grove, but then neither has time. Roads leading back to it were closed down and people forgot about the place and allowed it to fade into memory, just like the poor souls buried there.  
Today, the cemetery is overgrown with weeds and is surrounded by a high, chain-link fence, although access is easily gained through the holes that trespassers have cut into it. The cemetery sign is long since gone.

The first thing noticed by those who visit here is the destruction. Tombstones seem to be randomly scattered about, no longer marking the resting places of those whose names are inscribed upon them. Many of the stones are missing, lost forever and perhaps carried away by thieves. These macabre crimes gave birth to legends about how the stones of the cemetery move about under their own power. The most disturbing things to visitors, though, are the trenches and pits that have been dug above some of the graves, as vandals have attempted to make off with souvenirs from those whose rest they disturb.

Just beyond the rear barrier of the cemetery is a small, stagnant pond. This pond, while outside of the graveyard, is still not untouched by the horror connected to the place. One night in the late 1970s, two Cook County Forest Preserve officers were on night patrol near here and claimed to see the apparition of a horse emerge from the waters of the pond. The animal appeared to be pulling a plow behind it that was steered by the ghost of an old man. The vision crossed the road in front of the ranger's vehicle, was framed for a moment in the glare of their headlights, and then vanished into the forest. The men simply stared in shock for a moment and then looked at one another to be sure that had both seen the same thing. They later reported the incident and since that time, have not been the last to see the old man and the horse."

At this point Lindsay was close to shaking, so again Mac had to take over while Ashleigh was trying not to laugh.  
"Little did the rangers know, but this apparition was actually a part of an old legend connected to the pond. It seems that in the 1870s, a farmer was plowing a nearby field when something startled his horse. The farmer was caught by surprise and became tangled in the reins. He was dragged behind the horse and it plunged into the small pond. Unable to free himself, he was pulled down into the murky water by the weight of the horse and the plow and he drowned.

Even the road near Bachelor's Grove is reputed to be haunted. The Midlothian Turnpike is said to be the scene of vanishing "ghost cars" and phantom automobile accidents. No historical events can provide a clue as to why this might be, but the unexplained vehicles have been reported numerous times in recent years. People who are travelling west on the turnpike see the tail lights of a car in front of them. The brake lights go on, as if the car is planning to stop or turn. The car then turns off the road. However, once the following auto gets to the point in the road where the first vehicle turned, they find no car there at all! Other drivers have reported passing these phantoms autos, only to see the car vanish in their rear view mirrors.  
It remains a mystery as to where these phantom cars come from, and where they vanish to. Why do they haunt this stretch of roadway?  
For those searching for Bachelor's Grove, it can be found by leaving the roadway and walking up an overgrown gravel track that is surrounded on both sides by the forest. The old road is blocked with chains and concrete dividers and a dented "No Trespassing" sign that hangs ominously near the mouth to the trail. The burial ground lies about a half-mile or so beyond it in the woods.  
It is along this deserted road where other strange tales of the cemetery take place. One of these odd occurrences is the sighting of the "phantom farm house". It has been seen appearing and disappearing along the trail for several decades now. The most credible thing about many of the accounts is that they come from people who originally had no idea that the house shouldn't be there at all."

"This is all one place?" Danny interrupted afraid that Lindsay was actually going to start shaking and screaming.  
"It really is all just the one place but there's more yet"  
Ashleigh looked sympathetically at Lindsay; she knew how it felt to be scared by these stories. After all she should, Mac, Jimmy and Will used to scare the crap outta her with these stories but she had eventually gotten used to them so she wasn't scared anymore just interested.  
"Are we alright to carry on? Lindsay's looking at little peaky." Ashleigh asked  
"Go ahead I'm fine, I'll just go see that the kids are alright. I don't want to hear anymore of this anyway" Lindsay chuckled springing onto her feet.  
All pairs of eyes followed her as she left the room.  
"I believe we're free to carry on. Care to take over where I left off Ash?"  
"Totally"

Ashleigh continued.  
"The house has been reported in all weather conditions, both in the daytime and at night. There is no historical record of such a house existing here but the descriptions of it rarely vary. Each person claims it to be an old frame farm house with two-stories, painted white, with wooden posts, a porch swing and a welcoming light that burns softly in the window. Popular legend states that should you enter this house, though, you would never come back out again. As witnesses approach the building, it is reported to get smaller and smaller until it finally just fades away, like someone switching off an old television set. No one has ever claimed to set foot on the front porch of the house.

Also from this stretch of trail come reports of "ghost lights". One such light that has been reported many times is a red, beacon-like orb that has been seen flying rapidly up and down the trail to the cemetery. The light is so bright, and moves so fast, that it is impossible to tell what it really looks like. Most witnesses state that they have seen a "red streak" that is left in its wake.

There have also have been many sightings of ghosts and apparitions within Bachelor's Grove Cemetery itself. The most frequently reported spirit, though, is known by a variety of names from the "Madonna of Bachelor's Grove" to the "White Lady" to the affectionate name of "Mrs. Rogers". Legend has it that she is the ghost of a woman who was buried in the cemetery next to the grave of her young child. She is reported to wander the cemetery on nights of the full moon with an infant wrapped in her arms. She appears to walk aimlessly, with no apparent direction and completely unaware of the people who claim to encounter her. There is no real evidence to say who this woman might be but, over the years, she has taken her place as one of the many spirits of this haunted burial ground."

Mac took over to finish.  
"Is Bachelor's Grove Cemetery as haunted as we have been led to believe? The reader has to decide that for themselves – but, based on the stories, it seems to be one of the most haunted places in the Midwest.  
But haunted or not, Bachelor's Grove is still a burial ground and a place that should be treated with respect as the final resting place of those interred here. It is first and foremost a repository for the dead and should be protected as such by those who hope to enjoy it, and possibly learn from it, in the years to come. It is also a piece of our haunted history that we cannot afford to lose."

**A/N: This is going to continue into the next chapter 'cos there's a little too much for me to expect ya'll to read in one go so I split it into two R&R **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Meanwhile...**

_"Are we alright to carry on? Lindsay's looking at little peaky." Ashleigh asked  
"Go ahead I'm fine, I'll just go see that the kids are alright. I don't want to hear anymore of this anyway" Lindsay chuckled springing onto her feet.  
_  
Lindsay was aware of all the eyes watching her as she left the room.  
As soon as she was out of their line of sight she sprinted to the twins room, she had to see Lucy, Siri and Simon and make sure they were OK but she needed out of that ghost story somehow and the kids had been a great excuse.  
Once in the twin's room she sat down next to Lucy who was peacefully asleep in her stroller, she leant over and turned the baby monitor off; it wouldn't matter, she was in the room with them. She ran her hand over Lucy's head. She looked at the twins who were moving around while they were asleep but they were both moving in the same direction at the same time.  
She looked at the colours on the walls Siri's side of the room was pink with violet swirly patterns all over it, white vinyl silhouette stickers of birds seemed to be flying up from the head of her cot and her name was in silver vinyl just underneath the birds. Simon's side of the room however was light blue with navy blue diagonal stripes on and black vinyl stickers of elephants that looked to be walking away from his cot and his name was also in silver vinyl above his head. There was also a light on the wall similar to the flower in Lucy's room but this one split two ways one half going onto Simon's side and the other half onto Siri's, on Siri's side it was a heart and on Simon's side it was an American football.

_Stella._ Lindsay thought, she knew that this kind of creativity could only come from Stella. She was the most creative out of the CSI's; she had given them ideas for Lucy's room and helped them decorate it. Well the whole team had helped, but that wasn't the point. Simon and Siri's room was definitely unique.

"Ghost stories, huh kids?" She whispered softly  
Lucy's eyelids fluttered and her eyes opened slightly she looked straight at Lindsay.  
"Mamma..."  
"Hey princess" Lindsay smiled  
"'Amma..." Lucy whispered as her eyes closed  
"Sleepy girl," Lindsay chuckled "I love you baby girl"  
"Lo 'a mamma"

Lindsay smiled and stood up she looked at each of the twins and then noticed how quiet they were. Lucy had never ever been this quiet when she was the twins' age; she had always been crying and unable to sleep, but maybe it was because with the twins there were two of them instead of one. Everybody knew that the twins were already fully aware of each other, as when one of them was being held by a different person to the other they always looked around for the other. Adam had got the full brunt of this when they first came to the lab and he picked _one_ of them up.

_NYPD crime lab 4 weeks ago.  
Stella ran into Adam's lab in a hurry.  
"Look Adam normally I wouldn't trust you with my life let alone my kids but could you please, please look after the twins!" Stella asked quickly  
"Uh, are you sure?" Adam answered Stella with a question of his own.  
"Unfortunately there is no one else who can look after them, so yes I am sure..." Stella sighed "Please? Adam, you know you're my favourite lab tech" Stella fluttered her eyelashes at him  
"OK fine..." Adam decided the best option was to admit defeat  
"Good! Thank you! Neither of them should need changing until I get back!" Stella set down the two carry cots, "Bye Simon, bye Siri love you! Thanks Adam"  
The twin's watched Stella leave the room and then both looked at Adam, Adam looked back at the two babies who were staring at him innocently.  
"Oh, boy..."  
Adam ran a hand through his hair and looked at each of them in turn, first Siri then Simon.  
The twins watched Adam as he wondered around his lab doing various things that to a baby were ultimately interesting. Siri looked as though she was trying to sit up when the screen saver came up on one of the computers, it was a fairly recent picture of the team so she had probably seen someone she recognised. The little girl made a seemingly frustrated sound when she couldn't see, he this reminded him of his sister when she was a baby, she got annoyed when she recognised someone but couldn't see. Adam knelt down and looked at Siri.  
"You wanna see?" He asked her  
Siri looked at him then back at the computer and made the small frustrated sound again, Adam took pity on her, unstrapped her from the carry cot and picked her up so that she could see. Siri's eyes widened happily when she could see the picture she made a happy sound and pointed at Stella. Simon let out a very unhappy sound causing Siri to tear her attention from the picture and directly onto her brother, Adam followed Siri's gaze to Simon who looked at his sister then at her empty carry cot next to his. Siri tried to lurch away from Adam's arms and get to her brother, this terrified Adam so he immediately put her back in the carry cot.  
"Never again," He sighed  
*End Flashback*  
_  
Adam had been so scared that he was going to drop her, he had since refused to look after the twins because a mistake like that can only be made once.  
Lindsay sighed and stood up; they should've finished the story by now. She heard them all laughing, turned the baby monitor back on and left the room.

**A/N: I'm not really sure if Adam has a sister but it is a story *Shrugs* R&R :-)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: As I said before complete follow on...**

"Chicago is way too haunted." Flack finally said after the long eerie silence that followed the tale of Bachelors Grove.  
"How did you two live there knowing all of these stories? I would've crapped myself"  
This made everybody laugh at Adam.  
Lindsay flitted into the room soon after.  
"Hey, what I miss?"  
"The finish of the long tale of Bachelors Grove" Sid chuckled  
"Good"  
"Plus Adam's more of a scaredy cat than you. He said if he had to live in Chicago he would crap himself" Danny told her.  
This insured another laughing fit from Stella and Ashleigh, which happened but with Lindsay joining in too.

"Are we OK to tell another ghost story Linds? It's not a right scary one; I suppose you could say it's a baby one compared to the others." Ashleigh smiled, glancing sideways at Mac who smirked back at her  
"I have a feeling there's a catch to that, by you calling it a baby one but go on I only had to leave last time because it was too much to take in at once."  
Lindsay nodded and sat back down in her spot next to Danny.  
"Great!"  
Ashleigh clapped her hands together with a big grin on her face she announced the title on the next story. "Inez Clarke"

"The stories say that the area around Inez Clarke's resting place is haunted. Not only are their stories of strange sounds heard nearby, but some claim the statue of Inez actually moves under its own power. The most disconcerting stories may be those of the disembodied weeping that is heard nearby but the most famous tales are those of the statue itself. It is said that Inez will sometimes vanish from inside of the glass box. This is said to take place during violent thunderstorms. Many years ago, a night watchman for the Pinkerton agency allegedly stated that he was making his rounds one night during a storm and discovered that the box that holds Inez was empty. He left the cemetery that night, never to return. Other guards have also reported it missing, only to find it back in place when they pass by again, or the following morning.

There are other tales that claim visitors to Graceland spot a little girl playing in the cemetery. In other cases, children who accompany their parents to the burial ground have stated that they have met a little girl wearing old-fashioned clothes playing near the monument."

"Spooky"  
No one knew who had said this but it made them all laugh anyway. Lindsay looked over at the grins on the siblings faces.  
"Got any more?" She asked  
Everybody gasped and turned to look at her.  
"I thought you hated them?"  
"I did but I'm getting into the spirit of things"  
Lindsay smiled; Ashleigh shook her head and let out a quiet giggle.  
"Fine, then!"  
Mac and Ashleigh shared a look.  
"Irish Castle" They announced together  
"Ooo... I've heard of this one" Stella smiled

"This foreboding structure in the south side neighbourhood of Beverly has been known by several names, from the Givens Mansion to the Irish Castle, to its present incarnation as the Beverly Unitarian Church.

The house was built in 1886 for Robert Givens, who requested that it resemble the ancient estates of his native Ireland. Legend has it that the house was built for Givens' bride-to-be but she died before she could live there and the as time passed, it was owned by a manufacturer, a doctor and a girl's school before becoming the church in 1942. The Commission for Chicago Landmarks has named the house Chicago's only castle since the Potter Palmer Castle was torn down in the 1950's."

Ashleigh waved to her brother for him to take over.

"The house was sold to the Unitarian Church in 1942 and in the late 1950's, new additions were constructed for classrooms. Later, they planned to tear down the castle altogether for a new building, but these plans were discarded in 1972 and the church remains in the old castle today.  
The haunting here is said to be caused by a previous occupant from the time when the castle was the Chicago Female College. According to the story, a young girl became ill with a serious case of influenza and died in the early 1930's. The ghost was first encountered in the 1960's by a church custodian who came upon a young girl in a long dress standing in one of the rooms. The two of them chatted for a few minutes and the young girl remarked that the place had changed much since she had lived there. The custodian left the room and then suddenly recalled that the church had been in the building for more than 20 years... the young girl couldn't possibly have lived there!

She ran back to the room, but the girl had vanished! She then searched the entire building, only to find the doors and windows all locked. She even looked outside and discovered that a fresh layer of snow now blanketed the ground... and no footprints led either in or out of the church."

Mac looked at Ashleigh, who continued the story.

"Many believe that the young girl's fatal illness, and her confused state because of it, led to her spirit lingering behind... a fact that can be testified to by the church's pastor. In 1994, shortly after she was installed at the church, she saw two small arms embrace her husband's waist. Her husband claimed to feel nothing.

The ghost is also said to appear in the form of what appears to be a candle from outside of the building. The light has been observed passing by the windows and floating up the staircase... while no one was in the castle.

Apart from these occasional visual haunting's, the ghost sometimes makes itself known through unexplainable sounds. Occupants of the building have described it as a "jingling" sound, like the tinkling of glasses and silverware at a dinner party. A former pastor, named Rev. Roger Brewin, stated that he often tried to track down the source of these mysterious sounds but he never could. He said that they seemed to come from everywhere... and yet nowhere... all at the same time!"

Suddenly as if out of nowhere the baby monitor burst into noise, making all of the adults scream then laugh it off as Stella and Lindsay shared a looked and walked out of the room.  
Ashleigh looked around at the men.  
"Uncomfortable!" She announced standing up and walking out of the room to join Stella and Lindsay.

Both twins were crying and Stella seemed to be struggling and Lindsay couldn't help as she was trying to settle Lucy. So Ashleigh stepped into the room to help, smiling she took Simon from Stella.

**A/N: R&R :-)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Wow... it's um... been a while haha. I'm sorry this has taken so long, I've had computer problem after computer problem and lost the finished version twice so FINALLY here it is :)**

Ashleigh looked around her at the lab tech's working quietly in their labs, well all apart from Adam who had his earphones in and was having a silent _"rock out session" _to whatever he was listening to. She couldn't get it out of her mind that today was quiet, too quiet for the New York Crime Lab CSI's there was always noise coming from one place or another, but today was different... Too different. As she sat down on the break room couch she surveyed her surroundings, Adam's rock out sesh had been halted by Danny, Lindsay and Hawkes were having a staring contest and Mac and Stella were in Mac's office with the twins.  
"Flack!" She whispered quietly.  
That was what was missing about the lab, he wasn't there; that was what was making things so different and she was going down to the squad room to see him. She pushed herself up onto her feet, shook herself then headed for the elevator.

The squad room was filled with loud voices, some of arguing drunks others of shouting officers most? The most voices were teasing Flack about her.  
"Engaged to the boss's sister! That's a shocker"  
"Ner'mind the boss's sister, just god damn engaged is a shock to me!"  
Flack caught sight of Ashleigh standing close to his desk but not too close looking completely less than impressed.  
"Get bent guys!"  
Flack stood up, moved away from his desk and toward Ashleigh, whacking the two officers in the arms as he walked past them. He watched Ashleigh fold her arms across her chest looking even more less than impressed.  
"Hey," He greeted her.  
Ashleigh turned her head slightly and gave him an incredulous look.  
"I'm not happy." She said bluntly.  
"Then which are ya'? Dopey?" He joked.  
"Don't you dare make me laugh! I'm mad at you!"  
Ashleigh's, glossy brown curls bobbed on her shoulders as she shook her head and turned her back to him. From the small flash he'd had of her eyes he saw their milk chocolate was full of anger and hate rather than hope and love, which was the look he usually got.  
"Aww, come on Ash it's just the guys. They can be real dicks sometimes."  
Ashleigh nodded her head once, and looked sideways up at him.

- - - Meanwhile - - -

Stella couldn't take her eyes from Mac's face as he attempted teaching the twins to say 'ball.' He held a bright red ball in his left hand while he used the fingers on his right hand to point to the ball.  
"Look, ball." Mac pointed to the bright red sphere in his hand "Ball."  
Siri looked at Stella, her brother then back at Mac.  
"Ba!" She announced impatiently.  
Simon glanced at his sister and nodded.  
"Ba!" He repeated.  
"Close, ball." Mac said  
"BA!" Siri squealed, reaching out for the ball.  
Stella rolled her eyes, stood up from the couch and took the ball out of Mac's hand.  
"You want the ball baby girl?" Stella asked kneeling next to her daughter.  
"Ah!" Siri smiled  
"Here you go sweetheart" Stella gave her the ball  
"Na!" Simon's light eyebrows came down over his eyes and looked angrily at Stella  
"Play nice together kiddies" Stella smiled and dragged Mac aside "You can't expect them to pick it up straight away"  
"But…"  
"No buts mister." She silenced him with a finger over his lips "They're little"  
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

"I love you?" He tried  
She just looked at him, then walked away from him toward the elevator and proceeded to press the button, while refusing to acknowledge him as he followed her like a little lost puppy dog. He followed her into the elevator and watched her press the button and move as far away from him as the elevator confines would allow.  
"Aaaaassh…" he whined  
She glanced at him, looked back down at her feet, and then looked back over at him. Seizing his chance he wrapped his arms around her waist, she turned away and folded her arms forming a barrier between them he just looked down at her head.  
Ashleigh looked up again at him and kissed his chin.  
"Change of heart?"  
"No," she giggled "I was just testing you"  
"What do you mean?"  
"I wanted to see if you would stick with them and tell them that you would get me back later or do what you've done and come after me…"  
Don Flack did not appreciate being tested by anyone for any reason and especially not his fiancé, and now it was his turn to look annoyed. He let go of her and turned his back on her.  
"Oh, Donnie" She giggled "Lighten up! It was a joke…" She began to look concerned, "Don, I was kidding?"  
He was silent and stony faced.  
"We are getting married in two weeks Don, the least you could do is acknowledge me" She said attempting a play on the love that was apparent between them.  
"I know." He sighed "I was testing you"  
A childish grin swept across his face seeming to eat up the anger and annoyance that had once occupied his features, he chuckled and she kissed him.

The man of her dreams, and about time too.

**A/N: :) R&R people! Only two or three more chapters to go before the wedding! **


End file.
